This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/470,776, filed May 13, 2003.
This invention relates generally to improvements in refrigerated water coolers of the type having a water reservoir for receiving and storing a supply of water, and for selectively dispensing water from the reservoir. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved water cooler combined with a refrigerated compartment for receiving and chilling selected items, wherein the water reservoir and refrigerated compartment are chilled by means of a common refrigeration system, and further wherein the water reservoir is positioned in heat transfer relation with the refrigerated compartment for substantially eliminating risk of reservoir freeze-up.
Water coolers in general are well known in the art for containing a supply of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. Such water coolers commonly include an upwardly open water reservoir mounted within a cooler housing or cabinet adapted to receive and support an inverted water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. The water within the bottle flows downwardly into the underlying water reservoir for selective dispensing therefrom through one or more faucet valves located in an accessible position on the front of the cooler housing. In some designs, the water reservoir is coupled to an alternative water supply such as a water purification device or system, e.g., a filtration system or a reverse osmosis system, in lieu of a water supply contained within an inverted water bottle. Such water coolers are widely used to provide a safe and clean source of water for drinking and cooking, especially in areas where the local water supply is suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In many water coolers, a refrigeration system is mounted within the cooler cabinet and includes a chiller coil or the like for maintaining water within the reservoir within a chilled condition. In other configurations, the reservoir is subdivided into distinct chambers, one of which is associated with the refrigeration system, whereas at least one other chamber is provided for containing water at a different temperature such as substantially room temperature water. Further, in some cases, an additional chamber is provided in association with a heating element to provide a supply of hot water. In such coolers of the multichamber type, multiple faucet valves are provided in flow communication with the respective water chambers to permit separate dispensing of the water at the different temperatures.
In some instances, a refrigerated water cooler has been combined with a compact refrigerator to provide a dual purpose product providing a supply of chilled water together with a refrigerated compartment for receiving and chilling selected articles, such as canned or bottled beverages. In general, however, the chiller load requirements associated with the water cooler and the refrigerator components are sufficiently different so as to require a relatively complex refrigeration system and related thermostatic temperature control scheme. That is, the water cooler and the refrigerated compartment represent different chiller loads which may demand refrigeration alternately or simultaneously. As a result, the refrigeration system in such combined products has typically comprised a dual zone system having sufficient chiller capacity and a dual thermostatic temperature control scheme for separately but simultaneously handling both chiller loads. Attempts to provide a more simplified refrigeration system of potentially reduced chiller capacity and having a single or common thermostatic temperature control sensor for regulating both chiller loads have suffered from undesirable overchilling of the water cooler or the refrigerated compartment, when chilling is required by one but not both of these refrigeration loads. Overchilling of the water cooler can result in freezing of the water within the water reservoir and related dispense flow conduits, to render the water cooler inoperative and potentially cause freeze damage to water cooler components.
The present invention is directed to an improved combination water cooler and refrigerator unit having a refrigeration system of relatively economical capacity and including a single or common thermostatic temperature control sensor for regulating on-off operation of the refrigeration system, and further wherein the water-containing reservoir of the water cooler is positioned in heat transfer relation with the refrigerated compartment to substantially preclude overchilling of either the water cooler or the refrigerated compartment.